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|By PR Newswire||
|January 9, 2013 06:02 AM EST||
LONDON, January 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
Webtrends Optimize helps global car giant increase conversions and sale of add-ons
Europcar has experienced an increase in online visitor conversions of 15% following implementation of Webtrends Optimize and working alongside the team of Optimize consultants at Webtrends, the global leader in digital marketing optimisation and relevance through real-time, unified analytics and customer intelligence.
Since choosing Webtrends Optimize, Europcar, the Paris-based car rental giant, has also achieved its goal of increasing the purchase of extras and add-ons at check-out, experiencing a 12% increase in sales.
Using Optimize, an A/B and multivariate testing and targeting solution that uncovers the best combination of content to drive the highest rates of customer response, Europcar identified the landing page and purchase process as areas requiring optimisation. Segmentation was also introduced in tests across multiple geographies in Europe and the USA to explore how different cultures engaged with the Europcar website.
Catrena Blanco, Head of User Experience, Europcar, comments: "This entire optimisation process has been a real team effort from both parties. The guys at Webtrends are like an extension of my internal team here at Europcar. The quality of our relationship and this collaborative approach has been the key to delivering a successful testing strategy."
"To see an uplift of 15% in conversions and a 12% rise in add-ons is more than we had expected when we started optimisation," added Catrena. "It's proof that A/B and multivariate testing works and delivers a healthy ROI for online sales. We look forward to continuing to work with Webtrends and running further testing campaigns to improve the Europcar websites and the experience of our online customers."
Nick Sharp, Vice-President & General Manager EMEA, Webtrends, comments: "Working with an international brand like Europcar, with thousands of online customers, is an exciting project for Webtrends. Europcar, like so many global brands, recognise the need for optimisation, targeting and testing across their online platforms, not only to help drive an increase in revenue, but more importantly to ensure the customer experience is as friendly and streamlined as possible."
Webtrends Optimize combines a complete selection of test types, including A/B and multivariate. Advanced segmentation enables companies to identify and target their most valuable audience with customised campaigns, offering the most relevant content in real-time, thus increasing conversions.
More information on Webtrends Optimize can be found here.
About Webtrends Inc.
Webtrends power digital marketing success and are at the forefront of real-time digital marketing relevance and customer experience management through unified customer intelligence. Our industry-leading analytics and optimisation solutions, delivered across mobile, social and web enables marketers to optimize campaigns, maximize customer lifetime value and deliver highly relevant digital brand experiences in so much more than just real-time.
Webtrends dramatically improve digital marketing results for more than 3,500 global brands including, Alitalia, Lloyds Banking Group, Lastminute.com, Barclays, HSBC, ASOS, Orange, T-Mobile, Microsoft, BMW, Toyota, Play.com, AllSaints, The Telegraph, and many more.
With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo, June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY and October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.
Mar. 30, 2017 02:00 PM EDT Reads: 8,999
HyperConvergence came to market with the objective of being simple, flexible and to help drive down operating expenses. It reduced the footprint by bundling the compute/storage/network into one box. This brought a new set of challenges as the HyperConverged vendors are very focused on their own proprietary building blocks. If you want to scale in a certain way, let’s say you identified a need for more storage and want to add a device that is not sold by the HyperConverged vendor, forget about it...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:58 PM EDT
SYS-CON Events announced today that Loom Systems will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Founded in 2015, Loom Systems delivers an advanced AI solution to predict and prevent problems in the digital business. Loom stands alone in the industry as an AI analysis platform requiring no prior math knowledge from operators, leveraging the existing staff to succeed in the digital era. With offices in S...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 1,869
FinTech is the sum of financial and technology, and it’s one of the fastest growing tech industries. Total global investments in FinTech almost reached $50 billion last year, but there is still a great deal of confusion over what it is and what it means – especially as it applies to retirement. Building financial startups is not simple, but with the right team, technology and an innovative approach it can be an extremely interesting domain to disrupt. FinTech heralds a financial revolution that...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 3,181
What if you could build a web application that could support true web-scale traffic without having to ever provision or manage a single server? Sounds magical, and it is! In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Chris Munns, Senior Developer Advocate for Serverless Applications at Amazon Web Services, will show how to build a serverless website that scales automatically using services like AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon S3. We will review several frameworks that can help you build serverle...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 2,360
Most companies are adopting or evaluating container technology - Docker in particular - to speed up application deployment, drive down cost, ease management and make application delivery more flexible overall. As with most new architectures, this dream takes a lot of work to become a reality. Even when you do get your application componentized enough and packaged properly, there are still challenges for DevOps teams to making the shift to continuous delivery and achieving that reduction in cost ...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:45 PM EDT Reads: 545
Imagine having the ability to leverage all of your current technology and to be able to compose it into one resource pool. Now imagine, as your business grows, not having to deploy a complete new appliance to scale your infrastructure. Also imagine a true multi-cloud capability that allows live migration without any modification between cloud environments regardless of whether that cloud is your private cloud or your public AWS, Azure or Google instance. Now think of a world that is not locked i...
Mar. 30, 2017 01:15 PM EDT Reads: 953
SYS-CON Events announced today that T-Mobile will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc., is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to 67.4 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on ...
Mar. 30, 2017 12:00 PM EDT Reads: 2,702
SYS-CON Events announced today that Infranics will exhibit at SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Since 2000, Infranics has developed SysMaster Suite, which is required for the stable and efficient management of ICT infrastructure. The ICT management solution developed and provided by Infranics continues to add intelligence to the ICT infrastructure through the IMC (Infra Management Cycle) based on mathemat...
Mar. 30, 2017 11:15 AM EDT Reads: 3,597
MongoDB Atlas leverages VPC peering for AWS, a service that allows multiple VPC networks to interact. This includes VPCs that belong to other AWS account holders. By performing cross account VPC peering, users ensure networks that host and communicate their data are secure. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Jay Gordon, a Developer Advocate at MongoDB, will explain how to properly architect your VPC using existing AWS tools and then peer with your MongoDB Atlas cluster. He'll discuss the secur...
Mar. 30, 2017 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 1,111
Historically, some banking activities such as trading have been relying heavily on analytics and cutting edge algorithmic tools. The coming of age of powerful data analytics solutions combined with the development of intelligent algorithms have created new opportunities for financial institutions. In his session at 20th Cloud Expo, Sebastien Meunier, Head of Digital for North America at Chappuis Halder & Co., will discuss how these tools can be leveraged to develop a lasting competitive advanta...
Mar. 30, 2017 10:45 AM EDT Reads: 2,966
SYS-CON Events announced today that Interoute, owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York, New York. Interoute is the owner-operator of one of Europe's largest networks and a global cloud services platform which encompasses 12 data centers, 14 virtual data centers and 31 colocation centers, with connections to 195 add...
Mar. 30, 2017 10:30 AM EDT Reads: 1,901
SYS-CON Events announced today that Cloudistics, an on-premises cloud computing company, has been named “Bronze Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 6-8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. Cloudistics delivers a complete public cloud experience with composable on-premises infrastructures to medium and large enterprises. Its software-defined technology natively converges network, storage, compute, virtualization, and management into a ...
Mar. 30, 2017 10:15 AM EDT Reads: 2,464
SYS-CON Events announced today that SD Times | BZ Media has been named “Media Sponsor” of SYS-CON's 20th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on June 6–8, 2017, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY. BZ Media LLC is a high-tech media company that produces technical conferences and expositions, and publishes a magazine, newsletters and websites in the software development, SharePoint, mobile development and commercial UAV markets.
Mar. 30, 2017 10:00 AM EDT Reads: 4,581
In his session at Cloud Expo, Alan Winters, an entertainment executive/TV producer turned serial entrepreneur, will present a success story of an entrepreneur who has both suffered through and benefited from offshore development across multiple businesses: The smart choice, or how to select the right offshore development partner Warning signs, or how to minimize chances of making the wrong choice Collaboration, or how to establish the most effective work processes Budget control, or how to max...
Mar. 30, 2017 09:15 AM EDT Reads: 865


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In the next iOS 17 update, Apple is moving the End button on iPhones to the right side of the screen. The order of other call functions will also change.
Apple users are well aware that the “End” button is currently placed prominently, positioned centrally towards the lowest portion of the screen, and set slightly apart from other call-related options. The red “End” indicator will now be located on the right side of the screen in the future iOS 17, which is expected to go official later this autumn. According to AP, this alteration will be complemented by the downward shifting of additional features to fit the new configuration.
Apple reportedly released a preview guide for iOS 17 back in June, but recently, interest has reportedly increased as users test out beta copies of the upcoming software update. This week, a number of news outlets posted a series of photos taken from the beta versions of iOS 17, showing this small change that might annoy some users.
The source continues, “Additional adjustments have been made to the arrangement of other call functionalities present in earlier iOS iterations in addition to moving the end button.” Notably, the “Mute” and “Speaker” buttons have been switched around to correspond with the “FaceTime” and “Keyboard” options. Additionally, it appears that the add call feature and the ability to search for contacts have been integrated.
Apple has a beta programme that allows a restricted group of customers to test out software before it is made available to the general public, according to information on its website. Apple uses the information obtained from these participants to fix bugs and improve software before it is released on the market.
Along with possible changes to call icon locations, iOS 17 is anticipated to provide a number of brand-new capabilities to Apple consumers. These include of improvements to autocorrect, the launch of a new journal app, and live transcription of voicemails, which enables users to respond and accept calls while a caller is still leaving a message.

domain: news


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The numbers: Industrial production rose by 1.4% in May, as many factories resumed operations after shutdowns spurred by the coronavirus crisis, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.
Capacity utilization came in at 64.8%.
Economists polled by MarketWatch expected a rise of 2.8% in industrial production and capacity utilization of 66.8%.
Key details: Manufacturing output, which had dropped sharply in March and April, increased 3.8% in May, the Fed said. Most major industries saw gains, with the biggest rise posted by motor vehicles and parts.
Even so, total industrial production last month was 15.4% below its pre-pandemic level in February, according to the central bank.
Big picture: The reading on industrial production is another sign that the U.S. economy began to revive last month from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Ahead of Tuesday’s figures on industrial production, industrial output had been down in four out of the past five months. In March and April, the COVID-19 pandemic led many factories to slow or suspend operations.
A separate report on Tuesday said sales at U.S. retailers roared back in May. It comes after a surprisingly upbeat jobs report for May that was released on June 6.
Market reaction:U.S. stock indexes
What are they saying? “Total production was constrained by a steep 6.8% plunge in mining production and a 2.3% fall in utility output. These components will both rebound over the next couple of months as the economy reopens,” said economists at Pantheon Macroeconomics in a note.
“In short, a disappointing increase in output in May,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. “Output will likely continue to be restrained by ongoing issues related to supply chain disruptions and virus-related interruptions and weak demand, even as a reopening of states and factories boosts output from low levels.”


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Toyota Has Built A Few GR Yaris-Engined GR86s - Should We Be Excited?
The Japanese manufacturer has built a a handful of GR86s powered by the GR Yaris/GR Corolla G16E-GTS engine, although officially, they’re merely testbeds for carbon-neutral fuels
One of the biggest complaints about the Toyota GR86’s predecessor, the GT86, was its power figure. It was enough fun at low speeds, but a little gutless when you really had the space to give it some. Toyota addressed this when it increased the engine size from 2.0 litres to 2.4, and now it seems the GR86 could get a turbo added to the recipe.
According to Australian car magazine CarSales, Toyota has put the same 1.6-litre three-pot engine as used in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatches into a handful of GR86 test mules. The G16E-GTS engine has been tuned for up to 500bhp in the GR Yaris in the past, and is set to come with 295bhp from the factory in the GR Corolla. That would be around 71bhp more than the 2.4 naturally-aspirated flat-four used in the GR86. Before you get too excited, though, the experiment is merely being carried out, at least for now, as a means for Toyota to develop synthetic fuels.
That’s not to say the turbo’ed GR86 will never see the light of day – when asked by CarSales, chief engineer of Gazoo Racing Naoyuki Sakamoto responded: “Yes, we are thinking for the future about the possibility of using it, but there are no concrete plans at the moment. For now, we’re just using it to develop carbon-neutral fuels.”
Sakamoto also announced the G16E-GTS engine will be used in the GR86 for the Japanese Super Taikyu race series, so Toyota can assess its performance using synthetic fuels further.
Toyota has been doing a good job of catering to driving enthusiasts and listening to its fanbase in recent years. The manual Toyota GR Supra is due for release in the coming months, and the leaked patent images of the GR GT3 concept, which could be released under Lexus branding, suggest there’s no stopping for the iconic Japanese carmaker.


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Digital fashion platform, BNV, announced that it will be launching a fashion-centric metaverse, BNV World. Fashion designers will be able to exhibit their creations in the virtual space, which can later be worn by players’ characters in metaverse worlds.
According to BNV’s representative, this kind of platform makes it possible for designers’ work to be more creative and experimental. Their creations will be exhibited on special stages during fashion collection launches, and later sold on BNV World’s marketplace.
Apart from being exclusively dedicated to fashion, what sets BNV World apart from other metaverse worlds is the high-quality graphics and physics. Namely, thanks to the Unreal Engine, which powers BNV World, fashion designers will be able to create pieces of clothing with a high level of realism that worlds such as the Sandbox do not offer.
BNV World’s beta version is scheduled to launch next month.


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Metcash boss takes shot at supermarkets over fuel discounts
The new boss of Australia's biggest grocery wholesaler, Metcash, has attacked the fuel discounting strategies of supermarket heavyweights Woolworths and Coles, suggesting the two were ramping up bowser prices to make their discounts appear more generous.
Ian Morrice's comments come at a sensitive time with the shopper docket marketing scheme under investigation by the competition regulator.
"What we see as unfair about that is the price of petrol has been increasing and as that price of petrol increases then shortly afterwards a very large docket scheme gets put out there by the supermarkets," Mr Morrice said.
"The coincidence between petrol prices going up and followed shortly after by very large discounts on fuel is at a time when they [Coles and Woolworths] own the fuel distribution and they own the supermarkets - that's the issue."
Speaking to BusinessDay along with retiring Metcash chief Andrew Reitzer, Mr Morrice said the control of petrol distribution by the big retailers meant independent supermarket chains, such as those that operate under Metcash's IGA banner, were facing the supermarket giants with one arm tied behind their back.
"It's definitely against my sense of fair competition and that of individual business people who are quite prepared to go out and compete on a level playing field."
The pair were on the Gold Coast this week for IGA's annual convention, which brings together hundreds of independent supermarket owners. Independent retailers have watched petrol prices rally to as high as $1.70 a litre, robbing customers of disposable income, only to see Woolworths and Coles use their deep pockets to fund shopper discount schemes.
Coles has an offer in the market as high as 40¢ a litre discount for selected FlyBuys shoppers, while Woolworths has had a range of shopper docket discounts of between 16¢ and 45¢ a litre.
The deals require shoppers to spend between $30 and more than $200 to receive the discount.
Mr Reitzer, who will retain a consultancy role with Metcash, also criticised the creeping power of the supermarkets and their canny use of petrol and groceries together to squeeze competition.
"What you have in Australia is a regulation that allowed the two biggest retailers in the world from a concentration level that bank something like 23¢ in every dollar spent in the country - doesn't happen anywhere else - to then use that power to acquire power in the petrol market," Mr Reitzersaid. "Now they have done it and everyone has stood back and let them do it, now you see unrealistic petrol prices and then all of a sudden a 40¢ discount offer is there."
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating the use of the shopper docket schemes, and Mr Reitzer said Metcash had supplied information to the regulator to prove its case. But the ACCC has conceded in some reports petrol prices are linked to global prices and the exchange rate.
A spokesman for Coles said fuel dockets had been in Australia for years and were used by many grocery retailers and fuel operators, including many of Metcash's IGA stores.
"There is no link between the level of discount offered by Coles and the increase in petrol prices experienced by most of the country last week."
A spokeswoman for Woolworths said the retailer had been offering petrol discounts for 17 years.
The reporter was flown to Queensland courtesy of Metcash.
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will once again allow advertisements that involve cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin
The social networking company announced in January that it would stop allowing ads hawking financial products and services related to crypto, with an executive writing at the time that they "frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices." The same executive, Rob Leathern, wrote in a blog post Tuesday that Facebook would begin allowing pre-approved advertisers to promote cryptocurrencies and some related content, but would still block ads for binary options and initial coin offerings. "Given these restrictions, not everyone who wants to advertise will be able to do so," Leathern wrote. "But we'll listen to feedback, look at how well this policy works and continue to study this technology so that, if necessary, we can revise it over time." Facebook stock was trading less than 1% higher Tuesday, while cryptocurrency prices were broadly lower.


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Trefor Davies, of UK Internet Service Provider Timico, plans an aerial demonstration of just how bad rural broadband delivery is in rural England. He’s racing a pigeon, strapped with a data card, against a PC with typically low-speed bandwidth delivery on a farm in rural Lincolnshire.
Davies made a video of his most recent 5 minute haircut, 200 MB of data. On one PC, a farmer in Beverly will begin uploading the video to youtube. Meanwhile, a carrier pigeon will set out flying. Davies believes that by the time the pigeon has arrived in a loft in Wrangle, 84 miles away, the data card has been pulled off the bird’s leg and inserted into a PC , and the haircut movie is being viewed, the youtube in Beverly will still be loading.
Similar experiments have already taken place in South Africa and the Australian outback – with pigeons beating rural broadband both times.
“For lots of the UK,” (approximately 1/3) says Mr. Davies, “It’s no different from the broadband perspective from being in the outback of Australia.”


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SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — Bundt cake lovers, this one is for you.
Nothing Bundt Cakes has announced when they are opening their South Euclid location.
The bakery will open on Oct. 25.
At 9 a.m., the bakery will have a ribbon cutting and 20% of the sales will be donated to Youth Opportunities Unlimited.
On Oct. 26, the first 50 guests will win free "bundtlets" for a year.
Owners Janette and Dennis Looney said they have realized that their business is more than cake and are hiring people who need a second chance in life.
"We have met individuals who have not had an easy time in life and who are amazing human beings. It has become clear to us that this is more than celebrating with cake. It is about an opportunity and a responsibility. We have to hire and develop people who deserve a second chance in life,” said Dennis Looney.
Nothing Bundt Cakes will be located at 13949 Cedar Road.
RELATED: 'Nothing Bundt Cakes' opening location on the East Side


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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Life is like a Rubik's Cube, says Google.
A new ad pays homage to the classic puzzle game by featuring its Hungarian inventor, Ernő Rubik, and by leveraging the toy as an ambitious metaphor for the importance of cultivating problem-solving skills among the species's next generation of potential geniuses.
The commercial's rah-rah voiceover, including use of nonwords like "awesomest," occasionally turn an otherwise smart message into the potentially off-putting sort of smarm that is often a hallmark of contemporary techno-enthusiasm.


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Vegware and FFEI have both been celebrating success at the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise after each scooping prizes.
Vegware won the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Sustainable Development – the UK’s highest accolade for sustainable business success. The award commends theEdinburgh firm for developing innovative zero-waste foodservice packaging, promoting sustainability and reducing landfill waste in the catering and hospitality sector. To celebrate, the SME has designed its own original Vegware tartan, announced its expansion into Australia, and the tripling of its Edinburgh office space to support UK and international growth.
Joe Frankel, founder and MD of the global packaging firm said, “We saw that foodservice needed packaging which can actually be recycled after use, and responded to that challenge. Our solution of certified compostable catering disposals and full recycling support is helping the UK’s biggest operators meet sustainability targets and save money.”
FFEI received their Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for its development of a digital slide scanning system that has enabled significant advances in cancer diagnosis, cancer research and pathologist training.
“We are delighted to receive the Queen’s Award for Innovation,” says Andy Cook, managing director, FFEI Ltd. “The growth of our Life Science division has been built on our expertise in scanning and imaging. The success and worldwide sales of our digital slide scanner shows the value of FFEI’s approach to clinicians and pathologists.”
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious accolades for businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. The winners are announced each year on 21st April, Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday. The process is highly competitive – in 2012 a total of 862 businesses applied and 209 awards were granted.
The corporate awards recognise outstanding achievements by UK companies in three categories: International Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Development. Winners receive a range of benefits including worldwide recognition and extensive press coverage. Each Award is valid for five years and winners are invited to a reception with HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace.
- Products2019.01.02Mondi continues to innovate with next generation Bag-in-Box technical films
- Products2019.01.02Mondi flexible packaging “leapfrogs” ahead in the recycling game
- Products2019.01.02Swanline Paper and Board creates a splash with launch of Cygnus® Eco Board
- Products2019.01.02Selig launches revolutionary heat seal


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Very last summer time, Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths hinted that the Spanish manufacturer could make an entrance into the U.S. marketplace but gave couple details of how or when it would make that move. InsideEVs claimed that Griffiths not long ago opened up a bit far more all through the automaker’s annual information meeting, stating that Cupra had been screening automobiles with American individuals and observed constructive outcomes.
Portion of the Volkswagen Automotive Team in Europe and a functionality-oriented spin-off of the Seat manufacturer, Cupra tends to make sharply styled cars with a performance aptitude. The brand has been driving a expansion wave for the earlier number of years, growing exterior Europe into Australia, Mexico, Turkey, and soon South The usa. That expansion could arrive in this article, as Griffiths outlined the company’s attempts in the states in the course of the press conference.
“As significantly as our ambition of remaining actually world, we are now analyzing a feasible entry into the North American industry. At the moment, we are screening our manufacturer with likely clients we feel People in america would enjoy Cupra’s layout and terrific functionality.” He didn’t elaborate on which cars and trucks would occur when Cupra arrives on our soil but stated that American preferences lean towards greater EVs that the corporation doesn’t at this time present.
Talking with Autocar, Griffiths reported that to be successful in this article, “you need a car in the U.S. that’s fit for the U.S. and electric powered. A U.S. electric motor vehicle is frequently larger, so it will be a up coming era of electric vehicles that would be based on the SSP system from VW.” He stated the prices associated with this kind of an exertion would be “considerable.” He mentioned that the automaker demands to bolster its position in Europe just before concentrating on American motorists. It’s value noting that Cupra’s EV lineup at this time consists of the Born, which shares underpinnings with the VW ID.3.
As for when we’ll see our to start with American-marketed Cupra, it could be awhile. Griffiths pointed out that the go would coincide with the automaker going all-electric powered. That’s scheduled to be finish by 2030, but Cupra’s efforts to solidify its European place could be an uphill fight. As InsideEVs pointed out, the enterprise would like to expand its marketplace share from 1.2% to at the very least 3%, which will not be effortless specified the proliferation of compelling EV types on the continent.


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ONLINE GAMING IS SERIOUS BUSINESS FOR ASIAN MEDIA DEVPT GROUP
MANILA, MARCH 15, 2007 (STAR) Philippine PC gaming pioneer, Asian Media Development Group (AsianMedia) has its eye firmly set on the booming market for online games within the South East Asian region which is projected to generate estimated annual revenue of $141 million by 2010.
Having recently allied themselves with Korean gaming giant NCsoft Corp. to distribute the Triple-A "Pay-to-Play" (P2P) online game Lineage II in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, AsianMedia is set to capture the lion’s share of the regional market for online games.
"Our partnership with NCsoft was an aggressive coup over other local game providers," recounts AsianMedia president Arturo B. Diago Jr. "We are extremely privileged to now be the exclusive distributor of NCsoft Corp.’s online games and we plan to apply the same formula for success that has allowed AsianMedia to thrive in the highly competitive gaming industry."
The move from local to regional distribution has prompted the eight year-old company to adopt a brand new logo in line with their broader market.
"Now that we are expanding to multinational distribution of a major MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) such as Lineage II, we felt the need to identify ourselves more strongly as an Asian company in order to connect with an Asian market," says AsianMedia executive vice president, Felizardo P. de la Merced. Networks that work In fact, AsianMedia is no stranger to providing gamers with fun and excitement. Since its establishment in 1999, it has built up a nationwide sales and distribution network reaching more than 90 percent of internet cafes in the country. The company has also aggressively pursued the retail market by having its products available in more than 200 retail outlets in the country’s major cities.
An old hand at fostering the development of online communities, AsianMedia successfully created the Guilds.ph community in line with its box-sales of the highly successful online game title, Guildwars. With over 13,000 members nationwide, the Guilds.ph community represents a substantial base from which marketing subsequent online game titles can be launched.
AsianMedia is likewise responsible for establishing programs which provide financing, legal assistance, extended payment plan and business consultancy to internet café owners. "An important part of the AsianMedia’s success lies in its willingness to explore new ways of doing business with internet cafés to create mutually beneficial long term partnerships," says de la Merced.
Previously, AsianMedia was also the sole and official Philippine partner of Vivendi Universal Games (VUG), a global leader in multi-platform interactive entertainment. Through this partnership, AsianMedia brought game titles from Blizzard Entertainment and Sierra Entertainment, makers of phenomenal hits Counterstrike and Warcraft 3 to Philippine PC gamers.
These carefully cultivated relationships and networks have allowed AsianMedia to rise to the top of heap.
"Our experience from these carefully built networks has made AsianMedia the logical choice for NCsoft Corp. distribution partner not only within the Philippines but also the South East Asian region," says De la Merced. "Already, we envision the creation and development of a regional sense of community where gamers from the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia can identify with larger gaming communities outside their respective national borders." In the middle of all the action The centerpiece of AsianMedia’s distribution of Lineage II within the region lies in Philippine housed game servers that promise to deliver the best possible online gaming experience to Lineage II gamers in Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia.
"With the game servers based in the Philippines, regional players will be able to compete on a level playing field with players from across the globe," says chief operating officer Ronald Allan M. Aquino. "The vastly improved game play these servers provide will attract veteran online gamers looking for new virtual worlds to conquer as well as newcomers to online gaming who will be swept away by stunning graphic realism of Lineage II."
"We fully expect Lineage II to be the MMORPG of choice once people experience the game using our locally housed servers," says Aquino.
With Lineage II, AsianMedia enters a new era of rapid growth and development," says de la Merced. "Gamers can soon look forward to AsianMedia expanding even further with more P2P and free-to-play online games in the near future."
"This is where the fun begins and all of AsianMedia’s efforts can now be focused on changing the landscape of online gaming," concludes Diago.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2007
by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


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As monsoon rains start to pour across the city, innovative start-up KwikFix Auto, a pioneering automotive aggregator, announces a game-changing collaboration with Cashfree. This partnership is set to offer flexible EMI options for its customers, making it easier than ever to purchase essential car parts such as tyres, batteries, and accessories. The move aims to reduce the tendency of vehicle owners to delay these essential purchases due to monthly budget constraints, thereby enhancing road safety during this critical weather condition.
This initiative reaffirms KwikFix Auto’s commitment to revolutionizing the automotive repair market in India by introducing user-friendly tech-driven solutions. It also underscores the company’s dedication to vehicle safety and its vision to offer comprehensive, easily accessible automotive solutions.
“We understand that, due to financial considerations, many customers might delay the purchase of crucial auto parts every month, potentially compromising their safety,” said Mr. Ravi Chandarana, co-founder of KwikFix Auto. “By collaborating with Cashfree to provide EMI options, we not only alleviate this financial burden but also strongly underline our commitment to road safety, particularly in the challenging monsoon season when the condition of tyres and other parts can be critical.”
Key benefits of availing KwikFix Auto’s EMI options through Cashfree include:
Improved Safety: With EMI options, customers won’t need to postpone replacing worn-out parts, ensuring safer vehicles on the road during all weather conditions.
Financial Flexibility: EMI plans cater to a wide range of budgets, giving customers the freedom to choose the plan that suits them best.
Comprehensive Services: Beyond purchases, KwikFix Auto also offers a range of car care services, which can be conveniently scheduled and managed via their digital platforms.
Swift Support: KwikFix Auto’s commitment to swift service continues, with the company providing emergency assistance at the desired location within 90 minutes.
KwikFix Auto is dedicated to transforming the car repair industry by leveraging technology to offer seamless and intuitive automotive experiences. This strategic partnership with Cashfree is a significant step in enhancing the customer experience, further organising the auto repair market in India, and prioritising the safety of every road user.
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- Sara Ali Khan Sofy Ad: “In a world where every step counts, I believe in living life without compromises,” says Sara Ali Khan as she inspires girls to embrace periods fearlessly
- Palak Tiwari Turtle Chips: Orion India announces Palak Tiwari as the Brand Ambassador for their popular snack Turtle Chips
- Tata 1mg and Vitonnix UK get into an exclusive partnership in India
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ProWein opens the doors to Hong Kong fair
The world’s largest annual wine trade fair, ProWein, has opened the doors to its inaugural ProWine Asia exhibition in Hong Kong today with twice the space initially planned at launch.
The exhibition will run from 8-11 May and features 310 exhibitors from 21 countries across 2500 square metres of space – twice the area originally conceptualized at launch.
"Hong Kong is a crowded market for trade fairs in the wine industry, but we are gaining momentum and we are very happy with the result in our inaugural year,” said the exhibition’s global director, Marius Berlemann.
“We have doubled our initial expectations in terms of overall floor space. Our goal was to give the wine industry a different type of visitor as we are co-located with an existing food show that brings with it food service professionals from the restaurants and casinos in the South China area as well as from Hong Kong and Macao - this is something our competitors are no so focused on."
ProWine Asia is co-located with the HOFEX exhibition which focuses on food and hospitality products for the food service sector and features 2500 international exhibitors.
Among the Australian exhibitors at the ProWine Asia Hong Kong are Australian Wine Supply Group, Farmers Leap and Condo Wines. Australian wine exports to China grew by 43 per cent to $568 million in the 12 months to the end of March 2017.
Read more at source The Shout


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Uber data breach numbers: What hackers stole from 57 million riders, drivers
In October 2016, hackers attacked Uber and stole the personal data of 57 million riders and drivers in a data breach the ride-hailing company had kept under wraps until Tuesday when it finally came clean about it.
Bloomberg News reported that the disclosure triggered an investigation from New York’s attorney general, and on Tuesday the company’s CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, explained what was stolen and what the company has done “to repair our past mistakes.”
One of those mistakes? Uber paid the hackers to delete the data and keep quiet about it, which led to the firing of the company’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan, The New York Times reported.
“None of this should have happened, and I will not make excuses for it,” said Khosrowshahi, who joined Uber in September following the ouster of its embattled chief executive, Travis Kalanick.
If you have an account with Uber, here’s what you should know about the data breach, by the numbers.
Hackers stole names, email addresses and phone numbers of 50 million Uber riders worldwide, Bloomberg reported.
Do Uber riders need to take action? Uber says on its site that it does not believe individuals need to take action and that it has seen “no evidence of fraud or misuse tied to the incident.” Uber, however, encourages users to regularly monitor their credit and accounts as a precaution.
Hackers also stole names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers from 7 million drivers worldwide, Bloomberg also reported.
Among the data stolen from 7 million Uber drivers, hackers also downloaded 600,000 driver’s license numbers from people in the U.S., the company disclosed on its site.
Do Uber drivers need to take action? Uber says it has not seen any evidence of fraud or misuse of that data. But in response to this specific breach, Uber says it is directly notifying drivers by mail or email and that the company will offer free credit monitoring and identity theft protection.
That’s how much Uber reportedly paid the hackers to delete the data and keep quiet about its breach, Bloomberg reported.
That’s the amount Uber was fined in early 2016 when the company failed to promptly disclose another data breach in 2014, Bloomberg reported.
Uber does not believe that data like location history, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers or dates of birth was stolen.
Have some thoughts to share?
Read The Conversation on Flipboard.


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Birmingham City have signed up a "cannabis oil" drinks firm as one of their official partners in what is being billed as a world-first agreement.
The Championship club said Green Monkey CBD will supply a range of products at outlets throughout its St Andrew's stadium, including corporate areas, starting with Saturday's match against Stoke City .
A 12-month sponsorship deal has been signed between the two parties which will also involve the club working on engagement events to promote the company's products.
The partnership will also be used to advertise Green Monkey's message of health and wellbeing.
Ian Dutton, Birmingham's chief commercial officer, said: "We are delighted to be one of the first clubs to partner with a CBD Drinks brand.
"As a club we are always looking to be innovative and create industry firsts with our partnerships programme.
"It was clear from the beginning that a partnership with Green Monkey CBD was going to give us the opportunity to deliver a new and unique offering for our fans on matchdays, so we look forward to having their very distinctive green cans available across our kiosk and hospitality areas."
Green Monkey have sold over a million of their 250ml carbonated canned drink since it's launch in November last year, which contains 10mg of broad spectrum CBD.
Drinks such as the “Monkey Mojito”, and “Gin and Green” will be available to buy in the stadium's bars and hospitality areas.
The CBD industry has grown rapidly in the UK and is set to top the £1 billion this year.
But this is the first time a CBD company has become an official partner of a major sports team in the UK.
Scottish Premier League club Hamilton Academical renamed their ground the HopeCBD Stadium after being sponsored with a five-figure sum.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a legal cannabinoid which can help ease the effects of anxiety, sleep problems, chronic pain, as well as supporting general wellness.
England rugby union player George Kruis is a known advocate of products related to the substance.


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Dating Website Put Profiles on Adult Content Pages, Gets Slap (from the Wrist)
Venntro promises to act after “critical privacy breaches”
A dating site provider that made users’ profiles visible on websites online containing explicit adult product has away by having a slap from the wrist today, after a Competition and areas Authority (CMA) investigation that discovered “critical privacy breaches”.
Venntro Media Group has over 55 million users across 3,500 web sites global. The CMA, which started its investigation in October 2017, unearthed that users’ information had been been held in a central database that caused it to be easy for pages become noticeable on web web sites that they had maybe maybe maybe not registered too.
Senior Director George Lusty at CMA commented while exposing the findings: “We took action against Venntro because we had been worried people’s profiles had been being put on web web internet sites without their knowledge or permission. ”
The CMA won’t have the charged capacity to levy fines underneath the Consumer Rights Act.
The CMA stated in a study today: “Venntro has made legally binding commitments making it clear to people that it will probably share their all about other internet sites and acquire their full contract for this. Before they sign up”
It included: “It must make provision for a listing of these websites and can not spot people’ profiles on web internet internet sites containing explicit adult product without their extra active consent. ”
Complaints had been designed to CMA by users whom stated they finalized as much as internet sites which included adult content without realising or being informed.
The organization specialises in niche dating websites, which range from those enthusiastic about specific hobbies or religions, to “silver singles” for the senior or maybe more adult internet sites like “BBWshagbook”.
Inside their investigation CMA additionally discovered that: “Some for the pages they saw and individuals they paid to have interaction with, weren’t actually readers to that web site and would not always share their passions. ”
Venntro stated that they had been “collaborated closely because of the CMA for the procedure. Through that time, the CMA had full usage of our business, systems, data and staff…we think in conclusion for this procedure shows the integrity of our company and our aspire to guarantee informed transparency for the British customers whom utilize dating sites. ”
George Lusty of CMA noticed that: “As a total outcome of y our research, Venntro has pledged to be much more upfront having its customers in future. ”
Venntro additionally trades underneath the name Global Personals which in 2012 ended up being the main topic of a Channel 4 research that unveiled workers would duplicate photos from Facebook pages and produce accounts that are fake. You have received a subscription costing ?20 per month is required while it is free to sign up to Global Personals dating sites, to reply to messages.
With the UK’s privacy regulator, the details Commissioner’s workplace (ICO), the CMA has posted advice for on line businesses that are dating explain just how to completely adhere to both customer and information security laws and regulations. It has in addition posted advice in what individuals should be cautious about when utilizing dating that is online.
Ashley Madison’s CTO says Twitter’s dating app idea might never be popular
At the start of might, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Twitter had been going into the app that is dating, wanting its users to produce “the absolute most significant relationship of most. “
Zuckerberg’s brand brand new endeavor received lots of attention off their leaders on the market, such as the CEO of Happn, Didier Rappaport, who stated the statement had been simply “trying to distract” from the current information scandal. Professionals at Match Group also hit away during the concept, saying it had been ideal for US/Russia relationships, additionally the timing ended up being astonishing “given the actual quantity of individual and sensitive and painful information that includes this territory. “
Ashley Madison is perhaps the polar reverse of exactly what Twitter is thinking about producing. Users go directly to the adult dating solution for discernment for affairs and polyamorous relationships.
Based on Ashley Madison’s CTO Ruben Buell, due to the size of its individual base alone, Twitter will probably be pretty dominant into the on line space that is dating. But, if Twitter is sticking having its old-fashioned ways of earning profits, it will be pressing an advertising based model. This, Buell stated, may conjure up some concerns from users.
“It does allow you to ask, if you should be perhaps not investing in this product, then you’re this product, ” he told company Insider.
“Companies like Ashley where we do not offer data, and now we haven’t any advertisers in the platform, we could give attention to discernment and privacy, and protecting individual information. Facebook would be centering on building another advertising platform, going following this main market of 18-40 12 months olds, probing into our personal life they can offer to advertisers. To allow them to grab insights, which”
Facebook’s objective is without question everyone that is connecting he included https://datingperfect.net/dating-sites/japan-cupid-reviews-comparison/, however they are going a step further if they are linking our individual information to your globe whenever it involves something most of us simply simply simply take really seriously — our dating everyday lives.
Generally speaking, folks are getting ultimately more savvy regarding how most of their info on Twitter is publicly accessible to see. Therefore Buell stated this can be a challenge for Facebook going forward.
Nonetheless, even though it’s a little out of location for exactly exactly what Twitter are at the minute, the sheer scale and level of users Facebook has mean it’s likely to become a “disruptive force, ” Buell said.
Facebook also offers a plus to be among the advertising networks that are largest on earth. What this means is they could effortlessly shut rivals from their individual base.
“they experienced a notably faint approval procedure then came ultimately back and said ‘at this time around we are perhaps not accepting any dating advertisers. Even as we were final September trying to market regarding the platform, ‘” Buell said. “Which makes plenty of feeling now. “
The biggest pushback from prospective users will undoubtedly be issues exactly how much information Facebook is wearing them, and exactly how much they may be prepared to give possible suitors, Buell stated.
“and exactly how careful are you able to be with that information if you want to help you to mine it, and offer it for the advertising platform? ” he included. “You’ll want to allow it to be accessible to 3rd party advertisers because that’s the only path you monetise your product or service — along with your item can be your individual. “


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Bloomberg, Raghav Bahl launch JV for news channel, portal
Bloomberg Media today announced formation of BloombergQuint, a joint venture with digital news company Quintillion Media founded by former managing director of Network18 Raghav Bahl.
"This is the first time Bloomberg is investing in a partnership anywhere. This is also first time we are doing a cross platform partnership, it is not a licensing deal, so it is quite unique for us," Bloomberg Media International MD Parry Ravindranathan told reporters without offering details. Media reports said Bahl and Bloomberg together will invest Rs 100 crore, with the former owning 74 per cent stake in the JV and Bloomberg owning the remaining 26 per cent.
The partnership will cover broadcast, digital and live events across the country. The BloombergQuint portal will be launched in a few weeks and the television channel will be launched later, after obtaining all regulatory approvals and licences, the companies said. "Over 20 years ago, we launched this category of business news in this country. Business news... has matured, has crystallised, and is a truly profitable audience engagement platform," Bahl said. Bahl, who exited television news business after the sale of Network18 Media Investments in 2014, is re-entering the space with this JV. "I think there is a challenge. We created a space which has become very powerful. We have created brands which have become very powerful and now we are going to get back into this space with a new offering and a new brand... The space now needs to be redefined.
"We are here, back, to recreate the space and we are delighted to do it with Bloomberg. Bloomberg brings the critical component to this JV. They bring global leadership in business and finance. They bring the DNA of an editorial first and a digital first organisation. These are the DNAs that we need to transport into BloombergQuint," he added.
The company has hired former chief executive of CNBC-TV18 Anil Uniyal and former CNBC-TV18 executive editor Menaka Doshi to serve as BloombergQuint's chief executive and managing editor respectively. Bahl believes that news and information will be increasingly consumed on mobile devices five years from now. "I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that five years on, all news and information consumption will happen on hand-held devices. Breaking news will still be watched on television but other than breaking news, all other consumption will happen on hand-held devices.”


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SB retail property has new owner in eight-figure deal
REI and Sit ’n Sleep will hand over their rent checks to a new landlord as the property’s former owner closed escrow on March 31.
The property, located on State Street along Highway 101 in Santa Barbara, had been listed at $22 million and traded “within 3 to 4 percent” of asking price to an out-of-town buyer, according to lead broker Austin Herlihy of Radius Commercial Real Estate Investments. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The property, which includes 314-324 State St. and 319-321 Anacapa St., was previously purchased in at least two separate deals by 318 State Street LLC for about $13 million between 2005 and 2010.
The deal is the largest sale of purely retail property in downtown Santa Barbara since 721 State St., now part of Paseo Nuevo, sold in May 2002 for roughly $44.9 million.
The 94,206-square-foot parcel, bordered by Highway 101 and State and Anacapa streets, includes 55,545 square feet of fully leased retail space with storefronts on both streets and a large parking lot in front of REI’s entrance.
The property was renovated in 2011 with REI opening in November of that year. The company, which operates more than 100 stores across the country and named its Santa Barbara location Store of the Year in 2013, occupies the largest portion of space at about 24,500 square feet. National retailer Sit ’n Sleep fills the next largest space at about 8,500 square feet. Both companies hold long-term leases.
“Let’s just say it’s a very good time to own commercial property in Santa Barbara,” Herlihy said in a statement.


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Calverley is taking on her first general management role after a 15-year career in marketing and has been tasked with securing a “sustainable and profitable future” for the sleep wellness company.
Eve Sleep has promoted its CMO Cheryl Calverley to CEO as it looks forward to its “next phase of growth”.
The move comes after current CEO James Sturrock said he would be stepping down in mid-May to take on another external role. He will, however, remain on its board as a non-executive director.
Calverley joined Eve Sleep in early 2019 following a 15-year career in marketing at companies including


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It’s been a good many years since people — knowingly or unknowingly — started giving up information about their private lives to tech companies. If your smartphone tells Google, Facebook and dozens of other companies who you are, where you go and what you are doing every day so that they can sell you stuff, why can’t that kind of precise data help fight the coronavirus?
This week The New York Times published a map that showed how Americans had travelled in recent days. Using data from mobile phones, they showed that while much of the country had limited their movements, people in the southeastern part of the country had continued to move around relatively freely into last weekend. That kind of information will almost certainly help explain a coronavirus outbreak after the fact, but shouldn’t it be used to prevent that outbreak, to begin with? If data can be harnessed in real time to sell me airline tickets I don’t need, why can’t it alert people that they are risking their health (and the health of others) by moving around too much?
5. Apr 2020 at 17:46 | Benjamin Cunningham


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The Small Town Vape Store in Burns Lake, on Highway 16 has become the victim of two break-ins in two days.
On July 6, the Burns Lake RCMP responded to a break and enter at the store and discovered that the door was broken into, the glass smashed and the suspects had lifted significant items and cash. By the time the police arrived, the perpetrators had already fled the scene.
Assistant Manager Deanna Gutteridge told Lakes District News that the alarm went off and when the police got there, they saw that the door was broken-into and there was a brick on the floor.
“We had gotten a bunch of new items in store on Thursday. So everything that was new to our store, including our juices, they took. And it was quick. They knew where everything was and what the worth of it is. The knew which juices are popular and they just took off with the bottom shelf. There were a few boxes of e-cigarettes in the back and they stole roughly about 50 of them,” she said.
On July 7, the local police responded to another break-in at the same location. A lot of items were stolen again and there was significant damage to the property with the bottom glass of the door broken-in this time.
“They had left two boxes behind and next day they came again roughly around the same time and this time they broke-in through the bottom of the door and came in and blocked the door with the brick,” said Gutteridge adding that they took quite a bit of higher-nicotine juices.
“It’s a really serious thing. We don’t want kids getting a hold of these things and in the wrong hands, we fear that is what’s going to happen,” she said.
Gutteridge also said that she hopes that people stay alert on what their kids are doing, who their friends are, “and if you have seen them with something new and you don’t know where they got it from, ask questions.”
She informed that although they don’t have a number on how much the damage and the stolen products were worth, they are guesstimating losses of over $2,000 in items.
“It’s terrible that it has come to this because nobody breaks-in to stores in Burns Lake! We are just hoping that they are caught and it would be nice to see items returned,” she said.
The RCMP received both the calls between three to three-thirty a.m.
The Burns Lake RCMP is urging people to come forward with any information they might have on the perpetrators. If you have any information, contact the Burns Lake RCMP at (250) 692-7171 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477 .


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A group of tourists found a cockroach in their Biryani at the famous Hattrick Restaurant in Srinagar, but as usual, the Jammu and Kashmir government couldn’t care less. Sensing the government’s disinterest, a group of youngsters turned to Munna Bhai style of protests. They started a campaign of sending 1000 ‘Get Well Soon’ letters to the restaurant. The news went viral on Facebook and Twitter.
After the massive public outcry, the authorities conducted a raid and found the levels of hygiene down to the negative inside. A source said that at another unit of Hattrick, a complaint of cockroach inside a sandwich had earlier been reported. The Hattrick food chain has many outlets across the Kashmir Valley which is run by the Chowdhary Group.
J&K; Drugs & Food Control Organisation raided the restaurant outlet in Hazratbal and found it extremely unhygienic. They have suspended its operations. “We have closed down the operations of the restaurant after our inspection team[,] found that the hygiene conditions were not up to the mark,” Hilal Ahmad Mir, Assistant Commissioner, Food and Safety, Drugs & Food Control Organisation told The Tribune .
Source: Special Arrangement
A group of ten doctors from Mumbai arrived a few days ago in Kashmir. While they were visiting Kashmir University campus they went to the famous Hattrick restaurant and ordered a biryani. With the biryani came a cockroach. That is what led to the Sanjay Dutt aka Munna Bhai protest style of sending letters to the restaurant owners. They wanted to convey that food joints can’t just get away with something like this.
“We decided to do this as the government has done nothing. And this is an issue which concerns us all. We don’t have anything personal against anyone but we are citizens and we have a right to clean food”, said Sajad Sheikh, activist and organiser, adding the idea was to send across a larger message of right to good food.
The group has decided to send the compiled copy of the Facebook ‘likes’, shares or Twitter re-tweets of their online message to the said restaurant and a copy of the same will also go to the Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.
Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K;, is the hub of tourist activities. The PDP-BJP government has shown a lot of enthusiasm to promote tourism. The CM and State’s Finance Minister recently visited Bollywood town Mumbai and met top Bollywood stars for boosting tourism in Kashmir. But before promoting tourism there is a far greater need to clean and ensure hygienic restaurants in Srinagar. What will the tourists be fed?
We may like to remind you that the sub-standard food being served at eateries across Srinagar city is not new. Earlier, there was a massive uproar after reports suggested that cancer-causing colouring agents were being used in restaurants.


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Sir Rocco Forte and Bank of Scotland announced today that they had reached agreement on a joint venture which would secure funding for further expansion of the Rocco Forte Hotels brand of luxury hotels.
The joint venture company will have initial equity of £70m and will raise debt of around £200m to produce a significant fund for investment in projects which produce good returns. Hotels owned by the joint venture will be managed by Rocco Forte Hotels.
Commenting on the joint venture, Sir Rocco said, “Bank of Scotland has played a key role in the development of Rocco Forte Hotels since they sold us our first hotel, The Balmoral in Edinburgh, five years ago. They have provided the debt finance which has helped grow our collection to seven hotels and I am delighted to extend that relationship by forming this joint venture for future expansion across Europe.”
George Mitchell, Treasurer and Managing Director at Bank of Scotland said, “We are delighted to be extending our involvement with Sir Rocco and his team and to be part of this successful business and growing brand. The joint venture is being launched by extending the bank`s existing equity position in the new Lowry Hotel in Manchester and we look forward to involvement in more projects.”


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A Glimpse into the Kingdom Hearts Universe
Square Enix has sent shockwaves through the gaming world with a tantalizing Twitter teaser on the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account. While the post is minimalistic, its impact is monumental, as it hints at a new mobile game set in the beloved Kingdom Hearts universe.
“Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link” Emerges
The tweet features a striking black background, adorned with the enigmatic words “Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link.” Accompanied by a link to the official Kingdom Hearts website, it leaves fans yearning for more details.
A World of Speculation
While the tweet has remained tight-lipped about the game’s specifics, it has ignited a fervent wave of speculation among the Kingdom Hearts faithful. Some anticipate that this new installment could serve as a sequel to the 2020 release, “Kingdom Hearts: Union χ Dark Road.” Others speculate that it might herald an entirely fresh Kingdom Hearts experience.
A Legendary Saga
The Kingdom Hearts series has cemented its status as one of the most cherished and iconic video game franchises of all time. With over 35 million copies sold worldwide, it has ventured into various realms, including mobile gaming.
The latest full-scale Kingdom Hearts game, “Kingdom Hearts III,” graced the gaming world in 2019. It not only captured the hearts of players but also soared to commercial triumph, selling over 5 million copies in its very first week.
Unlocking the Future
The enigmatic teaser doesn’t divulge the release date for “Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link.” Nevertheless, it tantalizingly implies that the game is in the works. For Kingdom Hearts enthusiasts, it’s time to keep a watchful eye on the official Kingdom Hearts website and social media channels for forthcoming revelations.
Anticipating the Unknown
Here are some personal expectations for “Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link”:
- A captivating narrative that adds depth to the Kingdom Hearts lore.
- Engaging gameplay that keeps players immersed.
- New worlds to explore and beloved characters to reunite with.
- A mobile gaming experience that stands out and captivates players.
As an avid Kingdom Hearts fan, I’m eagerly awaiting further insights into “Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link” and counting down the days until its release.


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Ten cheers to the newspapers that are standing up against the $36 million war of false propaganda that is being waged on the state of California by the world’s largest pesticide companies.
Sadly, many newspapers fell hook, line and sinker for the tired talking points peddled by Monsanto and the pesticide companies that don’t want us to know what’s in our food. As Michele Simon reported today, many papers spread the false claims of the opposition campaign in their editorials without looking into the facts.
Perhaps these media outlets would have taken a different stance had they known just how far the opponents of Prop 37 are willing to go with their “say anything, do anything” strategy to confuse voters.
We’re confident voters will see through it, just as these brave newspapers did. Thanks to these Editorial Boards for standing up for our right to know what's in our food:
The world’s largest pesticide companies are spending One Million Dollars a Day to confuse California voters about Proposition 37 -- a simple label that will give us the right to know what's in our food.
A Million Dollars a Day in TV ads can buy lots of confusion, but it can't buy facts. Here are the facts about Prop 37:
No cost to consumers: Adding a few words to labels costs nothing. Labeling didn’t raise costs in 50 other countries and won’t raise costs here. It won’t add red tape or bureaucracy either, and the only independent study on Prop 37 confirms these facts. Read the Truth about Cost.
No incentives for lawsuits: With no incentives for lawyers to sue, the opposition's stories about "shakedown lawsuits" make no sense whatsoever. Prop 37 is straightforward and easy for businesses to follow; there will be no need for lawsuits. Companies will label for genetic engineering just like they label calories and fat. Retailers have special protections under the law. Read the Truth about Lawsuits.
Exemptions are common sense: Prop 37 exempts products that have no ingredient labels, such as restaurant food and alcohol. But it will cover meat from genetically engineered animals. The opposition is trying to confuse voters about exemptions -- and to do it, they are running ads featuring a fringe radical scientist who think nuclear radiation is good for our health -- all because they don’t want to label genetically engineered foods. Read the Truth about Exemptions.
California farmers are FOR Prop 37: Thousands of California farmers, all the leading businesses in the natural and sustainable food sector, and all the leading labor groups -- United Farm Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, and California Labor Federation -- are saying YES ON 37.
The whole world is watching what's happening in California! JOIN US TODAY.
Prop 37 is a simple label for genetically engineered foods. Also called GMOs, these are plants or animals that have had their DNA artificially altered by genes from other plants, animals, viruses or bacteria, in ways that can’t occur in nature. Here are 3 reasons why we need to label genetically engineered foods.
1. We have a right to know what we're eating and feeding our families. The right to know and the right to choose are fundamental American values; and 90% of Americans want to know if their food is genetically engineered. More than 50 other countries already require labels on genetially engineered food. California consumers have a right to this information too. If you think we have a right to know what's in our food, vote yes on Prop 37.
The people’s movement for our right to know what’s in our food has hit a fork in the road, the moment to ask ourselves and each other: How hard are we willing to fight for our basic right to know what’s in the food we're eating and feeding our families?
Proposition 37 is the litmus test for whether there is actually a food movement in this country, writes Michael Pollan in an article to appear in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. It may also be the litmus test for whether there is democracy left in this country.
Who are you going to trust about Proposition 37, your family and friends? Or a notorious pesticide-industry front man whose radical ideas defy scientific consensus?
Check out this email sent by the anti-consumer No on 37 campaign:


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According to patent and trademark diggers LetsGoDigital, Samsung has just registered a new brand for a material called Samsung Ultra Thin Glass. This material can be used for all kinds of displays in all kinds of devices, from smartphones to large format TV sets.
This ultra thin glass will be as thick as a human hair at about 30 nanometers. In theory it will be so thin that it will be able to bend without breaking while maintaining the scratch-resistant nature of glass. This will fix one of the current problems of foldable phones: plastic displays that are easily scratched.
The Korean company has signed an agreement with Dowoo Insys, which according to ET News is rapidly expanding its manufacturing capacity. Samsung Venture Investment has invested 10 million dollars in the glass making company. According to the Korean IT rag, “Samsung Electronics recently introduced its clamshell foldable smartphone that is expected to be applied with UTG panel.”
According to ET News, Samsung Display can get ahead of the game thanks to that alliance with Dowoo Insys. "Although Chinese panel manufacturers are also interested in foldable display and are working on supply and demand of UTG panel, there will not be any significant competitor to Samsung Display for the next three years,“ an industry insider told the outlet.
The holy grail of glass
Smartphone glass supplier Corning — which makes the glass surfaces for the iPhone and many other flagships — announced last March that it was working on an ultra-thin glass that could fold.
That's why other manufacturers are racing to get the holy grail of bendable glass. Japanese company AGC, for example, is working on this technology too. In fact, this company is ahead of Corning, already reaching a bend radius of 2.5 millimeters without cracking.
As foldable phones get more popular in 2020 — with the release of the Razr, the Fold 2, and other phones from other Chinese companies — we can expect this magical bendable glass to reach the market soon. And perhaps, as a side effect of this quest, we may finally get true shatterproof glass in every device. I sure hope so, because I have lost count of all the screens I have broken.


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Public Health England is encouraging parents to swap children’s sugary foods and drinks for healthier alternatives and protect children’s teeth by using fluoride toothpaste.
Almost 9 out of 10 hospital tooth extractions among children aged 0 to 5 are due to preventable tooth decay, according to data published by Public Health England (PHE) today.
Although the oral health of children is improving, significant inequalities remain and tooth extraction is still the most common hospital procedure in 6 to 10 year olds.
Tooth decay can cause problems with eating and sleeping, and results in at least 60,000 days being missed from school during the year for hospital extractions alone. Tooth decay could be prevented by cutting down on sugar and practicing good oral hygiene.
While children’s sugar intakes have declined slightly in recent years, they are still consuming the equivalent of around 8 sugar cubes more than the recommended daily limit – often eating 11g just at breakfast. Consuming too much sugar can lead to an increased risk of obesity and illnesses such as type-2 diabetes.
Change4Life is encouraging parents to ‘Make a swap when you next shop’ and switch to lower sugar alternatives to help reduce their children’s sugar intake from some everyday products, such as sugary drinks, yogurts and breakfast cereals.
PHE’s Change4Life campaign is encouraging parents to:
- Swap sugary drinks and snacks such as split-pot yoghurts for lower or no sugar alternatives, including lower-sugar yoghurts or no-added sugar juice drinks. The Change4Life website has plenty of easy ‘sugar swaps’ and helpful tips for families.
- Limit fruit juice and smoothies to a total of 150ml per day and only consume with meals – they count as a maximum of one portion of our 5 A Day.
- Ensure children brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste (once before bedtime and once during the day) and remind them to ‘spit not rinse’, as rinsing washes away the protective fluoride. Brushing should start as soon as the first tooth appears.
Taking these steps can lead to fewer days off school and fewer trips to the dentist, although children should go as often as their dentist recommends.
Dr Sandra White, Dental Lead for Public Health England, said:
Children are consuming far too much sugar each day, and this can have a very serious impact on their oral health.
Parents can help reduce their children’s sugar intake by making simple swaps when shopping and making sure their children’s teeth are brushed twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Small, consistent changes like these can have the biggest impact on children’s teeth.
Parents can also use the Change4Life ‘Food Scanner’ app when shopping in order to see the sugar, salt and saturated fat content in food and drinks and make healthier choices easier.


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Sweaty Betty opens Aspen store to boost business
By Kristopher Fraser
Nov 20, 2017
Sweaty Betty's going full speed ahead with their U.S. retail expansion, with their new Aspen store being a key part of their business. The store opens today, and will primarily sell ski apparel.
In 2016, skiwear made up of 35 percent of the brand's sales. “Having skied for more than 30 years, Aspen has always been a dream location of mine for Sweaty Betty,” said Tamara Hill-Norton, founder and creative director of the brand, to WWD. “With some of the best slopes and après ski in the world, it’s the perfect place for our new seasonal shop to open.”
Price points for the ski line range from 30 dollars for technical ski socks to 730 dollars for an all-in-one ski ensemble. In a climate that is very temperamental for brick-and-mortar, Sweaty Betty has made it a focus with the opening of three physical retail locations. This fall they have opened two other locations including a London flagship and a Manhattan location in TriBeCa. Currently, Sweaty Betty has a total of 62 stores between the U.S. and U.K.
Often referred to as "a pricier Lululemon", Sweaty Betty has been able to find global success thanks to the global athleisure and athletic wear trend. In October, the company reported double digit sales growth, with an increase of 16.3 percent according to Retail Gazette.


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Ferry services between the Channel Islands (UK) and France are due to be disrupted after the company providing cargo and passenger shipping services collapsed. St Malo Manutention (SMM), the only stevedore company of Saint-Malo, has been placed into liquidation.
According to Condor Ferries, the closure was "affecting freight sailings" and could "delay or disrupt passenger services." The news comes as Jersey's borders are due to reopen on Friday, July 3.
Condor's executive director Elwyn Dop said that the situation was "frustrating and inconvenient" but they were working hard to make alternative arrangements. He added:
"There is an awful irony in that having not been able to operate any high-speed passenger services for four months due to COVID, we could conceivably see a resumption from Guernsey and Jersey this summer affected by industrial action in St Malo, causing delays and cancellations."
According to Elwyn Dop, Condor Ferries (shipping services between the UK, Channel Islands and France) was talking to the Saint-Malo Port Authority, France's Brittany region and other port users to find a solution.


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FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE indicted four men on charges that they hacked into multiple financial institutions and operated a stock-pumping scheme and online gambling operations that netted them more than 100 million dollars.
The Feds say the defendants are responsible for hacking into JP Morgan Chase last year and obtaining access to more than 80 million customer accounts.
Authorities have charged Gery Shalon, Joshua Samuel Aaron, and Zic Orenstein on 23 counts, including unauthorized access of computers, identity theft, securities and wire fraud and money laundering. The fourth hacker who helped them breach the networks has not been identified.
The US District’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia also announced additional separate charges against Shalon, Aaron, and an unidentified hacker—the indictment in Georgia charges ten counts including unauthorized access of computers and wire fraud. Orenstein is only being charged in New York.
In addition to breaching JP Morgan Chase, they are charged with hacking into six other financial institutions, as well as financial news sites, online stock brokers and even software companies. Dow Jones, the parent company of theWall Street Journal, was among those hacked, as were Scottrade and ETrade.
“The massive scale of these data breaches is staggering,” said John Horn, the US Attorney in Atlanta.
The unidentified hacker used multiple methods to break into the networks, including brute-force attacks. At one point, Aaron also tricked a victim in the US into providing login credentials to ETrade and Scottrade networks. The hacker then used this access to locate customer databases on the networks.
Notably, one of the vulnerabilities the hackers used to obtain access to sites was the Heartbleed vulnerability discovered and exposed last year.
The operation, allegedly led by Shalon, ran from 2012 to 2015 and ultimately led to the theft of more than 100 million victims’ data.
The defendants stole customer information because they were hoping to establish their own brokerage business, according to online chats between the perpetrators that authorities obtained. They spoke about modeling Merrill Lynch’s business practices to build their business, but with stolen customer data to give them a leg up.
The hackers breached JP Morgan in 2014. At the time it was reported that the intruders compromised data on 76 million personal accounts and more than 7 million small business accounts.
According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, JP Morgan asserted that only names, addresses, and emails were taken in the breach. The attackers weren’t able to steal money, credit card numbers, passwords, or social security numbers.
Yet that information proved to be lucrative enough to bring the attackers a big payday. The thieves allegedly operated a stock price manipulation scheme that let them amass millions of dollars. They also operated a dozen illegal internet gambling sites and a Bitcoin exchange that generated millions more, according to authorities.
The attackers “relied for their success on computer hacking and other cybercrimes,” according to authorities.
To hide their activities they set up dozens of shell companies and used fake passports and other fraudulent credentials to maintain false identities.
Working as a cyber security solutions architect, Alisa focuses on application and network security. Before joining us she held a cyber security researcher positions within a variety of cyber security start-ups. She also experience in different industry domains like finance, healthcare and consumer products.


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The Twitch website, as well as the Twitch iOS app are no longer accessible in China.
The Chinese government has blocked access to Twitch in mainland China, reports say. This has been the case since as early as this week, with the Twitch website getting blocked first, followed by the app's removal from iTunes.
It started out in certain parts, before it spread to the entire country. Twitch confirmed the block to Abacus News, but didn't state the reason.
Last month, the Twitch iOS app reached the third spot at the top of the iTunes free apps chart. This recent surge in popularity is owed mostly to esports, and the Asian Games in particular.
Twitch was the only way for Chinese fans to follow the event, and it's likely what put it in the Chinese government's crosshairs. Twitch now joins YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google and other major websites that are all banned in the country.
Some of the Steam Community features have also been inaccessible in China for a while, though the main store remains available. Not for long, though, and Valve is already working with a Chinese publisher to launch a localised version in China.


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If you've spent any reasonable period of time on the Internet, you'll no doubt be familiar with 'patent trolls': companies who mount defences against other companies over patents they own, yet do nothing with.
Although advertising the fact just makes you look like a douche.
Their reason for having these patents is merely so they can profit from having them breached. They don't even have to attempt to produce a related product in order to profit from someone else making the product successfully. We know patent trolls are expensive to deal with, but you could be surprised just how expensive they are from year-to-year.
A study from Boston University tries to go the distance and measure just how expensive patent trolling has been in the United States.
During 2011, 2150 companies created a total of 5842 defences against patent trolls. Paying their legal team, and also funding other legal costs isn't cheap. Companies lost an estimated $29 billion dollars in direct costs, such as legal and licensing fees. The figure could be higher still, as the study didn't estimate indirect losses. Defendant losses in resource diversion, product delays and loss of market share were not factored in, so it can be assumed the cost is actually much greater.
The issue here is that it proves patent trolling works. Since 2005, the losses generated via patent trolling have multiplied by nearly five. In 2005, companies lost roughly $6.6 billion dollars in direct costs. Again, indirect costs were not being considered. Even the number of patent trolling incidents has increased. In 2005, there were 1401 claims by patent holding companies. These companies have become known as trolls due to their methods of profiteering, and their disinterest in putting their patents to good use.
Source: Boston University | Image: Zazzle